Undrugonda Fort & Temple

Undrukonda Fort is located 10 km from Suryapet town. It is located on a hill, surrounded by think forest in 1,372 acres. 

The ruins of the Undrugonda fort are of archaeological significance and they represent the various methods used in construction during that era. The central pillars are carved in typical Kakatiya style. The historic fort offers a lot of scope to understand the rich legacy of the region.

The fort is believed to have been built during Kakatiya times and later it fell under the control of Muslim invaders after the fall of Kakatiyas. The fortifications are spread across an area of 1 to 3 km’s along the hillock along with a famous Narasimha Swamy temple here.

Ugranarasimhaswamy temple is located on Undrugondadurgam (fort). The image of Narasimhaswamy on Garuda peetam is under a natural cave which was converted as a temple by constructing a garbhalaya and pillared mandapa.

Remnants of fortification walls are seen on the Undrugonda fort. At the foot of the fort an open mandapa is located. The ruins of this temple as well as fort are of archaeological significance and they represent the various methods used in construction during that era. 

The historic fort offers a lot of scope to understand the rich legacy of the region. This is an important fort of historical importance in Vemchimla mandal of Suryapet district and the Ugranarasimhaswamy temple here represents the historical significance of this region.

Locals throng the temple during festival occasions. The famous temple and the ruins here attract tourists and history lovers from all over, especially the picturesque hillock with a historic backdrop is a wonderful destination to visit.

https://tsdamblog.com/fortifications-undrugonda/

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Neelakanteshwara Temple

Sri Neelakanteshwara Temple is located on a beautiful Highway to Nagpur in the centre of Nizamabad Town is famous for its architecture.

Apart from architecture, there is another unique factor to this temple. It is the presence of the Big Three here: Lord Shiva in Linga form, who is Swayambhu; Lord Vishnu lying supine like Lord Padmanabhaswamy and Lord Brahma sitting on his lotus. Devotees throng this temple because of the presence of the Holy Triumvirate.

Kanteshwar is popular for an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is said to be about 500 years old and stands as an example of the architecture of the time during which it was built. This ancient temple was built by Satakarni II for Jains, who was a popular Satavahana King.

During Kakatiya period, the Jain mandiram was converted to a Shiva temple when many Jains also converted to Hinduism. The structure resembles the Nagara style or Hindu architecture with influences from north.

While some legends say that the temple could be close to 1,400 years old, it is older than 500 years and represents a mixture of great architectural history, with artwork on walls and pillars of the temple.

While the Nagara influence dominates, one can see Chalukyan influence on the temple gopuram and the outside of the temple and Kakatiya influence is there all over, including the outer region of the temple, with its small floral contributions. There is a protective wall, almost like a fortress, around the temple.

While the sanctum sanctorum has the three Lords and you can worship all of them together, the outside is replete with pillars, some on a raised platform on either side of the idol of Nandi, the guardian deity of Kailasa.

The Rathasapthami festival celebrated here every year, is very popular among devotees.

There is also a legend which says that the Sun rays fall on the Shiva Linga only on the Rathasaptami Day (Chariot ceremony).

Kanteshwar Jatara is organised on the premises of the temple. A large number of devotees throng to the temple for the darshan of chariot (Ratham).

The temple’s ‘gali gopuram’ (a monumental tower) stands tall and people can worship it from far away even before approaching the temple.

Many come to fulfill their wishes and pray to Lord Shiva to whom this temple is dedicated.

It is believed that the Lord here grants one’s wishes if you pray with fervour. This temple and many other ancient temples in this region came under Sirnepalli Samasthanam.

While the name of the temple suggests that you will see an icon of Lord Shiva with a blue throat, it is not the fact as the idol is in ‘Linga’ form.

The temple gains its name according to a legend that in a war between Gods and demons, there was a churning of an ocean and this brought forth gems and poison ‘halaahala’ which would have destroyed the entire creation. So both the Gods and the demons approached Lord Vishnu for help who in turn sent them to Lord Shiva.

Lord Shiva is believed to have drunk the entire poison and it is said that his consort Parvati Devi caught hold of his throat so that the poison does not move down his body which gave a blue colour to the Lord’s throat. Thus, Lord Shiva also gains the name ‘Neelakanteshwara’ due to the presence of the blue throat.

All pillars are made of stones but the variety of stone used is also different within this small space, speaking of the various influences. Local people point out the fact that there are three flowers on one pillar whereas other pillars have only one flower. Some eccentricity or lack of time of the sculptor, probably.

There is also a Dakshinamukhi Aanjaneya Swamy outside the temple. Normally, Lord Aanjaneya faces east but he is supposed to be facing south here because Sita Devi was in Lanka then, says chief priest Suhas Shakai.

One must not forget to mention the beautiful Nandi, sitting in front of his favourite Lord.

Previously made of one single stone, the idol looks handsome, with all kinds of paint on him, spoiling his looks, but some are happy that the paint is peeling off.

The whole ancient feel of the temple comes from the pillars, the Nandi and the beautiful work done on the walls, pillars and the roof in the inner part of the temple.

The temple stands on three acres of land and stone tiles have been laid for the walkway and an awning covering half the temple as protection against weather, while a small herbal garden is there amidst the walls of this ancient temple. There are other gates, with monkeys as gatekeepers. On the other side of this temple is a very beautiful and huge temple well, where only Utsava Murtis of the Lord are dipped, though one wonders about the plastic bags lying in the water.

There is a walking space. There are several Nandis and Shiva Lingas here too for people to do pooja. Just to give the old feel, there is a ‘ratham’ (chariot) made of wood. While the entire ratham is delicate and colourful, the bottom part of it has ‘nakashi’ art paintings of the Lords.

There is a small Tulasi plant amidst a host of huge trees of neem, peepul, palms etc. around the temple . Embedded on the wall of the temple is a beautiful Narasimhaswamy made of granite and looks wonderfully worshipped.

Next to the Tulasi is another stone statue, apparently known as Veergal or hero stone. These are found in a few places and in memory of those who lost their lives in war. Of course, there is a Lord Ganesha, in whose presence all poojas begin and he stands in granite glory and Sri Parvathi Devi has a small temple to Herself, in glorious turmeric, with a red bindi adorning her forehead.

The office room though is the best and has been kept in its original form. “We do not want to change this,” insists Temple Chairman Kovvuri Jagan Gupta. “Even in Summer, it is cooler here inside,” he said. The office room is small and has a domed roof. There is coolness about the place during the monsoon. It probably leaks but the old feel is definitely there, including an old wooden door.

The temple is very peaceful with the music of the breeze flowing through the trees and during nights, the lights come on and women walk in colourfully and chant Sloka in groups, adding to the fervour of the temple.

Temple Timings

Monday - Friday:

6:00 AM -7:30 PM

Saturday:

6:00 AM -7:30 PM

Sunday:

6:00 AM -7:30 PM

Public Holidays:

6:00 AM -7:30 PM

https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/060818/an-alluring-temple-of-trimurtis-of-the-trimurthis.html

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Sarangpur Hanuman Temple

Sarangpur Hanuman Temple is located at Sarangpur, 8 km from town of Nizamabad. 

A popular temple dedicated to one of the foremost devotees of Lord Shri Ram. The murti of Hanuman is carved out of a large rock atop the hill. The shrine is built around the murti of Hanuman.
Folk traditions say, the temple was founded by famous Saint Samarth Ramdas of 17th century.

Samarth Ramdas was the mentor of Maratha ruler Shivaji. Samarth Ramdas preached Advaita. Ramdas was a devotee of Lord Hanuman and Lord Sriram.

The temple premises of Lord Hanuman are spread over 1400 acres and is located on a picturesque and tranquil hillock.

Sarangpur temple is at distance of nearly 8 km and is easily accessible by road. Once you reach Nizamabad town, you need to hire private transport to reach Sarangpur.

https://www.telanganatourism.gov.in/blog/Sarangpur-Hanuman-Temple.html

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Ali Sagar Deer Park

The famous Ali Sagar Deer Park is located in the Nizamabad district of Telangana. 

The landscape of the park has several hillocks and verdant gardens with flowers blooming in every colour. This is a perfect place for deers to take refuge offering them a haven.

Ali Sagar in simple words is a very colorful and beautiful garden developed to attract picnickers from Nizamabad. If you wish to go on a short and rejuvenating trip, Ali Sagar is a right place. It offers a refreshing environment. 

The Ali Sagarreservoir dates back to 1931, which was constructed by the Nizams who ruled the region then. The area is spread amid natural hillocks and lovely colourful flower gardens. The soothing lake and its awe inspiring surroundings are rich in scenic beauty and an eternal bliss to your eyes. 

The Ali Sagar Deer park is situated near the reservoir. The park was established in 1985, and hosts many species of deer. This park serves a good picnic spot especially for kids.

To add to its breathtaking beauty is the enormous forest spread along with a beautiful summer house, well nurtured gardens, a secluded island and a hilltop guest house, what else can you ask for? This is more than a royal treat. 

The place consists of big tank which, is the main source for water in Nizamabad. The tank was constructed by Raghunath Das who had also constructed the popular Nizamabad Fort. The fort was originally developed on a temple of Lord Ram. It houses a huge variety of flowers, has a Deer Park, a Tree House in the Garden spread across 33 acres. It attracts people with fountains. 

Inside the Ali Sagar lake is an island. The authorities have introduced boating facility in the tank recently. During holidays, the park is visited by around 1000 to 2000 people. The deer park also facilities trekking and some water sports.

Ali Sagar Deer park is located at a distance of nearly 13 km from Nizamabad town and is well accessible by road.

https://www.telanganatourism.gov.in/partials/destinations/wildlife/nizamabad/ali-sagar-deer-park.html

https://medium.com/@travelportal/alisagar-deer-park-nizamabad-telangana-6c9d6ba716af

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Ashok Sagar Lake

Ashok Sagar Lake in Nizamabad can be a good destination for not just bird enthusiasts but also those who love nature and water bodies

Locally referred to as Jankampet tank, the lake is named after the Collector of Nizamabad district Ashok Kumar for the great work he did for people here. As it is located on the way to the highway that leads to Basar, the lake has become quite a popular place.

As you enter the lake, you see the 18-feet statue of Saraswati erected in the centre. Right next to the lake is the Ashoka Rock Garden where you’ll feel it’s worth spending some time walking around taking in the beauty of the surroundings before you continue your onward journey.

Boating facility is also available here. You can either take a speed boat and cruise across the lake or take a pedal boat and move around at your own pace. The boat ride is really enjoyable during the mornings and evenings.

Located opposite the lake is the Jankampet Dargah wherein locals come to pray. It is believed that anyone who prays here can get their wishes fulfilled. We walk a bit around the nearby village. Some of the houses were quite old and built in the traditional way.

There is particularly one two-storeyed house that attracted my attention. Like most of the houses in the villages, it had blue doors with the lower portion of the door frame in yellow. Right on top of the door was an Om symbol. There was a tulsi plant in front of the house like in most Hindu houses.

How to Go: Ashok Sagar is located at a distance of 8 kms from Nizamabad on the way to Basar on NH63. It is 176 kms from Hyderabad, via the Nagpur Highway and then a small detour. It generally takes about three-and-a-half hours to reach there by car. There are buses to Nizamabad from Hyderabad, and further to Ashok Sagar.

When to go: The best time of the year to go is September to March. After that, it gets really hot.

You can enjoy the beauty of the place during the evening when the boat rides happen.

Where to stay: You will get hotels of all budgets in Nizamabad.

Other places to visit: There are some places nearby which can be visited in the same trip.

Basar Saraswati temple is a very famous temple just 25 kms from the lake. Saraswati is the Hindu Goddess of learning. The only Saraswati temple apart from this one is in Jammu and Kashmir State.

Bodhan is a nearby town famous for the Deval Masjid which was originally a Jain temple with beautiful architecture.

Nizamabad Fort and Neelkanteshwar Temple in Nizamabad town are some must-visit places and worth spending some time.

Siddulagutta is a very interesting cave temple on top of small hills quite close by.

https://telanganatoday.com/boating-pristine-waters

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Jankampet Temple

Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple is located at Jankampet in Nizamabad District of Telangana.
is dedicated to Lord Narasimha an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This Temple consists of a pillared hall and garbhagriha. This temple is famous for Astahmuki Puskharini on top of the hill, constructed in octagonal shape. 

The temple was built during the Rastrakuta times and renovated during the period of Western Chalukyas, Kakatiyas and later rulers.

The annual festival and full moon day attract lot of pilgrims.

Whenever Amavasya falls on a Saturday ‘Shaniwar Amavasya’, people from Nizamabad and surrounding areas take a dip in the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple Ashtamukhi ‘Koneru’ here and offer prayers. Devotees believe that by performing this ritual, they can keep away ‘Shani Dosham’.

In addition, a large number of people from Hyderabad, Maharashtra, and Karnataka were among those who took a dip in the ancient temple’s koneru.

2.5 km from Jankampet Bus Stand, 12 km from Nizamabad Bus Station, 27 km from Basara Bus Station and 186 km from Hyderabad,

Timings: 6:30 am to 1:30 am and 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm.



https://www.trawell.in/telangana/nizamabad/sri-laxmi-narshima-swamy-temple-jankampet
https://telanganatoday.com/large-number-of-people-visit-jankampet-temple-in-nizamabad

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Saleshwaram jatara and waterfalls

Saleshwaram is located 25 km away from Farahabad gate in Amarabad Tiger Reserve in Nallamala Forest, Amarabad Mandal, Nagarkurnool district, Telangana State, India.

The annual Saleshwaram Jatara in the Nallamala forest area which comes under Amrabad Tiger Reserve is celebrated every year on Chiatra Pournami or the Full Moon Day in April and is open to visitors for only 5 days. 

On every Chaitra pouranmi i.e. the full moon day of March/April believed to attain the super natural powers and the wills of the devotees are fullfiled message spread throughout the State hence devotees come in large numbers chanting “Vastunna Lingamayya” .

“Saleshwaram Jathara” also known popularly as “Dakshina (Telangana) Amarnath Yathra”is being conducted every year for three days in the month of April, for the past 30 years. Nearly 5 lakh people from all over the country visit Saleshwaram during the Jathara every year. 

Saleshwaram waterfalls runs throughout the year from a height of 200ft and the source of water remains unknown. This waterfall reaches a Shivalinga revered as “Lingamayya” by the Chenchu tribes. The presence of a perennial waterfall here resembles a long serpent when splashing on the rocks adds to the beauty of this place. 

Breath-taking views of the layered rock formations, deep valleys with spectacular views only found in the most exotic locations of the world. Saleshwaram is located 16 km away from Farhabad forest checkpost and the temple comes under Appapur Gram Panchayat in Lingal mandal in Nagarkurnool district, Telangana, India.

The ancient Sri Ramalingeshwara Swamy temple of 6th century AD, located deep inside Nallamala forest, is about 1,000 feet deep inside a valley. The scene of the temple in moonlight is a treat to the eyes and a blessing to the soul. The temple lies next to a beautiful waterfall, coming down from a height of over 200 metres. The water flows through the temple and the devotees take a holy dip in it before taking a climb into the Garbhagudi. The linga is located in a cave which resides on a huge rock.

Reaching the temple involves a 16-km journey through the core area of the tiger reserve with another six kilometres of trek through the Nallamala hills.

The drive through the deep forest is sure to remain one of the best memories for visitors since they can see many wild animals like spotted deer, nilgai and wild boar.

The devotees have to walk at least three kilometers to reach the temple located down the valley. It is an arduous walk since there are sharp rocks all along the ground.

The devotees need to walk on narrow gorges of valley to reach down the deep valley where they can see waterfall falling from over 1,000 feet.

The devotes take a holy dip in the water and collect water in the bottles for those who could not make it as it is believed that it contains medicinal value.

Nature’s wonder which has been kept intact for thousands of years has once again started mesmerizing the devotees of Lord Shiva, who is devotedly called ‘Lingamaiah’ in this part of the world. The purest form of the nature located away from the mainstream society’s sight has opened its arms welcoming the devotees.

‘Sarveshwaram teertha kshetra,’ which later came to be known as ‘Saileshwaram’ and ‘Saleshwaram locally,’ which is a primitive religious site, located 30-40 kilo metre deep inside the Nallamala forests inside Amrabad Tiger Reserve where the rare Chenchu Adivasis have been living and serving Lord Shiva for ages.

As per local Chenchu mythology, ages ago, a Chenchu named Ravagadu had gone for hunting along with his wild dogs on the New Year’s Eve. When he couldn’t find water to drink anywhere, his dogs led him to a water body located near a cave, where water drops which looked like pearls were falling through the layers of rock formation. There, Bhole Baba had revealed himself to the Chenchu in bright gold and then vanished. That night, Lord Shiva appeared in his dream and asked him to erect a Shiva Linga and serve him.

The water which flows through layers of rock formed some thousands if not millions of years ago, carries with it all the medicinal values through the roots of nature, making it the purest form of water which has the ability to cure any disease. People have been visiting this nature’s wonder for ages and people believe that their sins can be washed-away here.

According to ‘Parvatha Purana,’ if a sinner enters this water body which is called ‘Shankhu Teertha,’ the water here becomes dirty but when a pure human enters, remains crystal clear. No wonder, while the water which comes from the top is crystal clear, once it touches the ground where devotees take bath, it changes colour due to plastic left over by pilgrims.
According to historic evidence, the Shiva Ling at Sarveshwaram had already become famous by 5th or 6th century. The layered rock formation in front of the sanctum sanctorum itself looks like a mammoth cave.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/devotees-make-a-beeline-to-saleshwaram-jatara/article8515715.ece

https://telanganatoday.com/deep-inside-the-nallamala-forests-saileshwaram-mesmerises-devotees

https://allevents.in/hyderabad/saleshwaram-trek-in-srisailam-forest-opened-only-once-a-year/80001403653972

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Mesolithic paintings of Mancherial

Mesolithic cave paintings found in Thaatimattayya hills of Buggagattu forest in Mancherial district of Telangana State.

Historian Dr Dyavanapalli Satyanarayana has claimed that he explored the site in the Buggagattu forest area with the help of the local Naikpod tribes.

He said cave paintings at Thaatimattayya are dated to be 13,000 years B.P. According to Satyanarayana, he came across the ten types of paintings drawn in five colours.

Dr Satyanarayana said ‘even today families of Naikpod worship the ‘Thaatimatayyah’ or Thaadu which means palm tree. One of the most striking features of the cave paintings is the drawings of perfect circles. 

It seems that the prehistoric artist had used geometric measurements to draw the circles. The circles represented human heads, womb/vagina, flying saucers, dumbbells/tool kits, sun and moon discs.

The Mesolithic Age people inserted the small chips of chert stone (one-inch long and centimeter width) in the full cleavage of fist fit logs to make knives, sickles, etc. sharp implements, in between 8,500 B.C. to 3,000 B.C. 

It also appears that the caves were inhabited the people during the subsequent ages – Neolithic and Megalithic – as it is revealed by the human paintings with metal weapons and physical grinding stones, the historian concludes.

The prehistoric paintings were drawn at five places on the sand rock walls of the 50 yard long cave. The first space has only one petroglyph of an ox engraved in one foot length. The second and third spaces are the main chittaruvulu on which several tens of red ocher paintings were drawn.

The most important paintings of the spaces include the animals – horned bulls in rows, deer, antelopes, porcupine, and big lizard (Udumu). Some men were depicted as controlling the oxen with weapons.

The paintings also include a priest with thick red ochre halo around his head. Similar painting is also found nearby but in fainted red color.

The Naikpod tribals of the region, who invoke the deity Chittarayya for three days in every three years, call the priests as tappeta goollu (big dappulu in Telugu). The fourth and fifth spaces are expressing only fainted red ochre oxen, the historian explains.

But unfortunately most of the prehistoric paintings depicted on its wall spaces have been dimmed due to the recent distilleries cooked here for illegal liquor. 

Only a half-foot long ox figure in red ochre color at one place and a foot-long ox in white color at another place are clearly visible on the 30 feet-long wall space of the cave.

But there appears every possibility to retrieve several paintings by way of scientific / expert chemical cleaning of the cave wall, he said.

With regard to the corroborative evidences of the paintings fortunately one can find hundreds of microliths in front of the caves. 

Renowned historian Dr Dyavanapalli Satyanarayana found these sites near in the Buggagattu forests located at a distance of some 10 km from the district headquarters.

According to Dr Dyavanapalli Satyanarayana, the first cave is locally called Chittarayya Gundu is oriented towards northward and located at a distance of one kilo meter from the Buggagattu Anjaneyasvami temple in its north western corner.

While explaining about the second cave, Dr Dyavanapalli Satyanarayana said that Paatha Chittarayya Gundu, which is located in the deep forests at a distance of two kilometers from the first cave has projection towards northward is more than the first cave and hence it seems to have provided more safe accommodation to the humans.

Since the cave painting sites are located in a distance of ten km drive from the District Headquarters Mancherial the Government may develop the sites as historical and adventurous tourist sites so as to protect the rare and rich heritage of Telangana, Dr Dyavanapalli Satyanarayana appeals.

https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/221017/13000-year-old-cave-paintings-found-in-thaatimattayyah-hills.html

http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Khammam-Tab/2017-01-11/Mesolithic-paintings-found-near-Mancherial/273074

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Ringing Rocks of Telangana

Ringing rocks, also known as sonorous rocks or lithophonic rocks, are rocks that resonate like a bell when struck are found in the borders of Jangoan and Siddipet districts of Telangana.

The sonorous rock formation stretches over 25 kms and state government should declare this stretch as a heritage park and promote tourism like in Musical Stones of Skiddaw in the English Lake District; the stones in Ringing Rocks Park, in Upper Black Eddy, Bucks County, Pennsylvania; the Ringing Rocks of Kiandra, New South Wales; and the Bell Rock Range of Western Australia. Ringing rocks are used in idiophonic musical instruments called lithophones.

They are locally called Solamile Ene which are discoverd by reddy ratnakar reddy. Physicists say that

these rocks may have formed 200 million years ago due to lave ejecting on to the surface. The sound of the rocks depends on the density of ferric oxide in them. Usually, the ferrous percentage is is 9 to 12 percent in them.

They pass through Bonakollur, Bandnagaram, Katkur and Padamatikesavapur in Siddipet district and Veerannpet, Chunchanakota, Nagapuri, Jangamredy palle in Jangoan district.

History of ages is told along these rocks. There are cairns(locally known as rakasi gullu). Researchers found a stone age axe here. In Siddipet Verannapet researchers found groves which signify the sharpening of stone tools. “They belong to the Neolithic age".

Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/63707952.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringing_rocks

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Surendrapuri

Surendrapuri is a museum located in Yadadri Bhvanigiri district. This is a unique one-stop destination where you can see epitome of cultural, artistic and sculptural excellence.

Kunda Satyanarayana Kaladhamam, one-of-its-kind mythological theme park. The other major attractions of this place are Nagakoti (101-feet Shiva Linga) and a temple of Panchamukhi Hanuman with Panchmukha Shiva and Lord Venketaswara. 

A 60-feet double-sided Panchamukhi Hanuman and Shiva statue at the entrance catches the attention of visitors. A unique Navgraha Temple places different navagrahas in the relative positions. Astounding Vedic knowledge has been put into building this temple.

KUNDA SATYANARAYANA KALADHAMAM

Kunda Satyanarayana Kaladhamam is a spiritual and mythological awareness center where one can

relive the ancient Indian epics. Most of the historic temples of India are recreated here. Visit Sapta Lokas for the immense feel of serenity amidst the nature’s beauty. This brings vibrant feelings as you emerge from a magnificent jewel of art and religion. Kaladhamam depicts most of the mythological events from Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavatam, Buddha and many more.

The sprawling 3 km of walkways with more than 3000 statues, provides a delighted tour to the replica of Epic Period gone by! This place is a must visit for a holistic experience. Here visitors can refresh their knowledge about the ancient epics.

The wonderful and beautiful sculptures in the museum make visitors recollect the epics and would get transported into divine world of the great Hindu mythology. For the first time in India such a marvel has been created with the concept of making people see the celestial world of Indian mythology and values of our culture and tradition.

HANUMAN SHIVA STATUE
The moment one enters the abode of the Surendrapuri, one gets the darshan of the 60’ feet Panchamukha Hanuman on the front elevation and the Panchamukha Shiva at its back as a great architectural splendor. The mammoth statue of Hanuman is with the 5 heads of Vanara, Narasimha, Garuda, Sookara and Hayagreeva. The 10 hands possessing weapons and killing mahiravana with his weapon mace, testify him as the manasa putra of Lord Siva.

At the hind-side of Panchamukha Hanuman is the Panchamukha Shiva with 5 faces of sadyojata, Vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha and Eshana, bearing weapons in 10 hands killing Tripurasura with his Trident. This mahasilpa is the highlight of Surendrapuri.

TEMPLES OF INDIA
One can have the darshan of all the deities of well known piligrimage centres of India. Here we get to see life size replicas of all the famous temples of India in one place. In one glance we get to see temples from kashmir to kanyakumari.

SAPTALOKAS
The great celestial worlds of Bramhalok, Vishnulok, shivalok, Nagalok, Indralok, Yamalok, Narakalok, Patalalok can be visited here. The experience of walking through the seven doors of vishnulok with the dashavataras on both sides is in explicable. Similarly all the other lokas are designed in such a way that you get transported into a celestial world. They are now not limited to the Puranas or sacred books and can be seen here and now. It is truly a rare opportunity and a boon that give us pleasure of ephemeral world and divine gods.

PURANAS
The fascinating events of the Ramayana,Mahabharatha and Bhagavat and other Puranas are carved out as eye catching sculptures in an unparalleled and unprecedented way employing ultra modern artistic techniques and they all give us a wonderful experience.

The churning of ksheera Sagaram(milky ocean) using the Mandara Mount as the staff by the gods and demons,is moulded in a heart moving way.In the same way,the sculptures of the coming of Lord Vishnu along with His weapons  and goddess Lakshmi to save Gajendra from the clutches of Crocodile stand as a wonderful symbol of devotion. 

The 36 feet high sculptures depicting Lord Krishna enlightening Arjuna with message of the Bhagavad-Gita, showing the armies ready for the Kurukshetra war touch the hearts of the viewers.

The stories of Balakrishna on the hoods of snake king kaliya,Krishna lifting Govardhana mountain, Bala bharata, Hanuman charitra, Buddha charitra in eye catching statues.

Hanuman giving Prasad to the devotees with his own hands and hot coffee made from the milk straight coming from the Kamadhenu are some more highlights of this magical place.

The padmavyuham set up makes you feel as if you have entered the war of mahabharatha and every story gives you a value which stays with you for a lifetime. How abhimanyu falls prey to the trick of kauravas because he went into the padmavyuh with half knowledge makes us realize that you should not do any work without knowing all the facts.

Many more wonders showing delightful events from the ancient classics await the devotee visitors at Surendrapuri-The Artistic Mythological awareness centre.This stands as creation against creation and one has to experience the divine thrill that is beyond description to enjoy the wonderful holy complex.

Surendrapuri Entry Timings: 

6.30 am – 1 pm and 3 pm – 8 pm (Weekdays)

6.30 am – 8 pm (Weekends and public holidays)

Ticket: Free

KALADHAMAM Entry
9AM-7PM (Monday to Sunday) Open all days

Ticket : Adult Rs. 350, Child Rs. 300 (below 5 yrs no charge)



http://www.surendrapuri.in/index.html

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Warangal Durries

Handloom to date remains one of the most rich traditional practice of the country. Geometric patterned durries remain the most famous durries from Warangal and are in demand both in national and international markets.

Lack of self-branding and promotions are the reasons that Durries made in Warangal are unable to market their uniqueness.

Warangal's famous durries are now available to the world: Weavers sell their products on Amazon

Recently, e-commerce giant Amazon signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Telangana Department of Handlooms and Textiles to help handloom clusters in Warangal, Pochampally etc. 

Durries of Warangal to date remain one of the few crafts left in the country that is still done by hand. It is still amazing to find weaver’s making an entire durry with traditional looms even when the rise in technology has led to the introduction of Power looms. 

In recent years, screen printing techniques and kalamkari prints were adapted to Warangal durries, extending the range of products. The designs that are characteristic of Warangal durries are geometric, angular motifs and coloured horizontal stripes.

Warangal durries have been famous for many reasons. The famous durries or rugs are made using vegetable colours, and are washed in flowing water after the printing process and became a renowned hub for weaving these rugs due to the availability of cotton, which is grown by farmers in the area. The craft has never faced the shortage of materials at any point of time. 

The colours used are distinct with reds and blues used in combination with neutral colours. The designs range also has flat weaves with raised or extra weft patterns. Pit looms and frame looms equipped with pedals are prevalent. A wide variety of durries are woven in cotton and also some jute and wool based durries for export and the home market.

The weaver’s continue to make the durry at minimal wages as it is the only practice they were taught by their elders. But the art of making durries is at a risk of continuation and needs protection. The weaver’s do not feel the competition as they are not exposed to the market demands, for them government purchases are enough to keep them going. 

Granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in March 2018. Once a GI tag is allotted to a product, the name becomes unique to that geographical area and cannot be used for products that are manufactured outside of it. Violation of GI tags is a punishable offence under the law.

Warangal has long been an important durry-weaving centre with a strong local flavour. The tradition of making Durries in Warangal dates back to the Mughal era, when the Mughal army came down to south in Deccan region of India, an army comprising of artists and craftsmen started making carpets and sooner the local people had accepted it as their part of regular income, passed down from one generation to the next for more than hundred years. It is highly labour intensive rural based cottage industry. 

The weavers in Warangal are either organized in cooperatives or work independently. A weaver's day usually begins at 6 in the morning-getting ready for the day ahead. Weaving is a year round job, the only holidays are on Eid and Amavasya when it is believed that work should not be carried out.

Females are active members in the process of making a durry. Both men and women have to work to ensure a basic standard of living. While the pit loom is only operated by men all other activities are carried out by females. Right from spinning the yarn to even operating the frame loom, the women carry out these functions very efficiently. One can also find women sitting outside household winding and spinning yarn that is then taken for weaving. Weaving a durry is hence a multi- fold process that starts right from the house of a weaver.

Weaver's rely heavily on natural light and one cannot find many tube lights or even fans at the workplace. The ceilings have been designed in a way to allow maximum sunlight to come inside, but during winter season or rainy days when the sun is not too kind, the weavers have to wrap up work early. Ventilation and Cleanliness are major concerns at the workplace. Since the raw material is cotton yarn one can find cotton fibres everywhere. These fibres are not removed on a regular basis as the administration feels that since it gets dirty so quickly, why bother to clean it. 

Warangal Durries are made on 3 different types of looms.

Pit Loom: A pit loom is used for weaving the carpet, which will be at ground level and is basically pedal and hand operated. The Shuttle is manually moved by hand. It is called Pit Loom because a pit needs to be dug in the ground for inserting pedals.
Frame Loom: Similar to pit loom, it has a pedal but doesnot need a pit to be dug. The only major difference is that in a frame loom the shuttle is not operated by the weaver but moves through a mechanism of pulling.
Power Loom: All operations on a power loom are automatic and only require manual insertion of the yarn.

Durry weaving is an established industry in Warangal with a large population of skilled weavers and facilities for dyeing. though the number of weavers have increased over the years, sales haven’t gone up proportionally.

These fine craftsmen are well known all over, as their durries have managed to become popular across India as well as abroad.

According to the Handloom Export Promotion Council, 80% of the handwoven durries sold in European and American markets are woven in India.

Pitta Ramulu is the first weaver to get recognised with a national award, according to The Hans India. He had won the ‘‘National Handloom Award’ for 2015. Ramulu’s durries can be found on Amazon.

It is the first time that a weaver from 100-year-old handloom industry of Warangal district got recognised with a national award. “After a long wait the skills of Warangal weavers are recognised at national level. This would help local handloom industry to flourish now,” he shared with The Hans India.

After finishing his sixth standard, Ramulu started to learn weaving at the age of 11 from his father P Rajeeru. They hail from Ankushapur in Chityal mandal and settled at Kothawada in Warangal in the 60s. He became a master weaver with the experience he gained from his father. He got APITCO training in 2001 in advanced weaving techniques.

For the award-winning durrie, Ramulu took the help of his tech-savvy sons Shanker and Sainath to get the hunting scene of Mughal era depicted in a painting which is displayed in a London museum. “It is an antique and complicated design. The efforts on the design got me the accolades,” Ramulu said.

Explaining about the work put into the durrie, Ramulu said that special type of yarn was picked up to match the pit loom’s dimensions. Special efforts were made to choose the dyes that match the painting and last long.

“I would continue to innovate with new designs. The award would help to get free entry at national and international level handloom exhibitions and ensure a good market for Warangal durries. I have displayed my products in Mumbai, Chennai, Suraj Kund and other places,” Ramulu said.

Warangal durries by Sanjoli Arora 

https://issuu.com/sanjoli_10/docs/warangal_durries

http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Commoner/2016-07-11/The-durrie-that-brought-acclaim-to-Warangal-weavers/241199

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/warangal-durries-available-world-weavers-sell-their-products-amazon-69724


https://chaibisket.com/andhra-pradesh-telangana-arts-and-crafts/

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Jurassic Period

Dinosaurs are known to have lived between 230 and 65 million years ago, a periodthat is known as the Mesozoic Era. The period is many million years before the first modern humans, Homo sapiens, appeared.  Scientists divide the Mesozoic Era into three periods: the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous.

The 16-foot-high ‘Kotasaurus Yamanpalliensis', was found during an excavation by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in Yamanapalli region of Adilabad district.

A GSI team unearthed the skeletons of gigantic reptiles, which lived on earth approximately 165 million years ago in the Lower Jurassic period.The GSI and Birla Science Centre worked together and mounted at Birla Museum in 2000.

 The GSI, which excavated the region for more than two-and-a-half decades, had collected nearly 840 skeletal remains belonging to various Sauropod dinosaurs. 

All the 840 skeletal parts belonged to 12 individual dinosaurs from a single species, ‘Sauropod dinosaurs’, which ruled the earth for more than 130 million years after originating some 200 million years ago.

The gigantic skeleton put up at the Birla Science Centre is made up of 80 per cent original dinosaur bone material and 20 per cent artificial material.

“During the excavation process, the team found only 80 per cent original bones. The skull was gifted by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburg in US,” he said, adding that
it took nearly seven years for treating the fossils.

The dinosaurium in the Science Centre also displays a fossil tree trunk from Adilabad belonging to the Lower Jurassic Age, a fossilised sea snail, excavated from Trichy in Tamil Nadu, the thigh bone and leg bones of a Sauropod dinosaur, fish fossils from Adilabad and dinosaur eggs excavated in Ahmedabad 70 million years ago.

While a fossil eco-park is being developed with fossils of trees, fish, leaves and animals from the Permian, Triassic and Jurassic ages in Sironcha, Maharashtra, Telangana state forest department has neglected the Kataram-Mahadevpur-Yamanapalli site in Adilabad district despite a number of fossils found in the Pranahita-Godavari valley of the same area.

Despite the Pranahita Godavari Valley having a huge potential, no further excavation work has been taken up in the past three to four years in Adilabad.

A composite skeleton of a dinosaur – Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis Yadagiri (named after Yamanapalli village and scientist Yadagiri) – was installed at the Birla Science Centre, Hyderabad. An articulated skeleton of a Rhynchosaur with the skull and other bone elements that was discovered in the Triassic rocks of the P-G Valley was also put up at the museum.

According to scientists, apart from dinosaurs, fossils of other reptiles, fish and micromammals were available at the site. “Plant fossils and charaphytes are also known to be found from the Kota Formation. Fieldwork was carried out in Jakkepalli, Lingala and Metpalli areas of Adilabad,” said a scientist.

The fossil of a dinosaur – Barapasaurus tagorii – has been discovered by scientists of ISI, Kolkata, from the site near Sironcha on the eastern side of the Pranahita.

Mr Mathen ‘Rajeev’ Mathew, member of the National Biodiversity Authority and the Telangana State Biodiversity Board, said after a visit to the Wadadham Palem area in Sironcha: “The timeline of the area is 200 million years, preserved in the Gondwana, which was one of the two super continents predating Pangaea. Fossils of trees have been found here along with those of dinosaur eggs.”

He said the fossils were exposed due to floods in the recent past. The tree fossils were of coniferous species going by the outer layer of the bark. “The tree fossils are darkening/blackening, possibly due to some fungal or biotic attack or exposure to the elements. The dinosaurs eggs were found in the area and partially buried in loose sand and mud, suggesting that they were washed up,” he said.

He added, “The flooding that exposed the fossils is the likely reason why the dinosaur eggs had washed away from their paleo nests. Further investigations with expert digging would provide a wealth of information regarding the paleobotany and paleozoology. A portion of the area should be turned into a paleo park where the finds can be displayed to the people.”
https://telanganatoday.com/this-dinosaur-still-stands-tall
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/281016/negligent-telangana-has-no-plans-for-a-fossil-park.html

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Banjara Needle Crafts

Banjara needle craft is a needle craft embroidery in the state of Telangana. The craft has evolved through centuries across generations. It is an embroidery and mirror work on tapestry. The work pieces are bright-coloured. Banjara needle craft is unique to the region of Telangana. It involves use of simple needles, embroidery thread, original fabrics (cotton or woolen), and needs high proficiency in the craft. Combined together, they create splendid pieces of art.

Needle work is the mainstay of this craft and the combination of certain patterns such as geometric shapes - squares, tracings and diamonds are widely used.

The colourful threads used on the basic cloth along with tiny mirrors, beads and cowrie shells impart a vibrant look to the piece of cloth. The mirrors, beads and shells diverse style of stitching - herringbone, simple chain stitching, long and short stitch.

Generally diverse colours such as pink, white, yellow and blue coloured clothes are used. In many instances, blue or brown cloth is used to ensure proper amount of contrast to enhance the beauty of the embroidery.

Banjara needle craft presents a range of embroidery such as bags, kurtas, cushions, gift articles, women garment fabric, bed sheets, and other home furnishing cloths.

Banjara needle work is not exotic by itself, but is the cut, craft and the ideas picked from nature that make it so different. Before itsy-bitsy blouses showing décolletage or open back blouses became fashion statements in urban areas, Banjara women were stitching and wearing them. It was this nifty needle work that incorporated mirrors and shells that drew the attention of the Crafts Council officials to Sepavat Angoori, then a 17-year-old married girl with a daughter, in Yellamma tanda (hamlet), Ibrahimpatnam taluk.

Sepavat Angoori honoured by Crafts Council of Telangana for her role in spreading the needle craft 

The Banjaras in Telangana are gypsies in ancient times who led a nomadic life. They travel from place to place and do a vocation related to their travel. Banjara needle crafts are handmade fabrics made by Banjaras.

Embroidery in general began with woman folk of travelling tribes who did not have the opportunity to go out home in pursuit of any vocation. They began embroidery as a matter of vocation. Embroidery is associated with every facets of life. Embroidery is symbolic of expressing one's passion for creativity.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/Owning-the-Banjara-needle-craft/article17000665.ece

http://telanganatourism.gov.in/blog/banjara-needle-crafts.html

http://golkondacrafts.telangana.gov.in/blog_banjara_needle_craft.html

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/335938/magical-stitches-banjara-needles.html

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Ammapalli Sita Rama Temple

Ammapalli Sita Ramachandraswamy Devasthanam is located in Ammapalli Village near Shamshabad, Rangaredddy District, Telangana, India.

The temple is unique in more ways, it is a Ram temple but there is no Hanuman inside the sanctum

sanctorum, instead there is a Hanuman at the base of the dhwaja stambh (flag post) looking towards the temple. It is believed that Hanuman is looking towards Lord Rama to wait for instructions from him to fulfil the desires of the devotees. There is another Hanuman idol that looks directly outside at the bottom of the second flag post. This was a unique thing for me was the presence of two dhawaja Stambhs in the temple courtyard one seems to be old and other recently added (recent here could mean 100+ years). The 3 idols of Rama, Sita and Lakshaman are made from a single stone and not made from separate rocks.

The Rama temple was built by Vengi kings in 13th century but the idol was 1000 years old. The temple is adorned with a large seven-story tower which is quite famous among Telugu movie fans. There is a large image of Lord Vishnu is sleeping posture above the gateway of the tower.

“There are no inscriptions of this temple but legend has it that it was built during the time of Kalyani Chalukyas,” says Anvesh Sharma, the temple priest. 

There is a large temple pond which is very ancient. The pond is surrounded by porticos and once it provided shelter to the pilgrims. The surroundings of the pond are filled with coconut trees. There is a mandapa opposite to the temple.

Tollywood film industry loves Ammapalli Temple and they believe that movies recorded here would become hits with the blessings of Sri Sita Rama Swamy.

Sri Rama Navami is celebrated with great passion at this temple every year (Apr).

The gali gopuram is a magnificient work of art that rises some 80 feet into the air. Though it is similar to other gali gopurams in South India like Hampi and Tirupati, the one at Ammapalli is leaner and is a combination of limestone plaster, baked bricks and stucco giving it a more dramatic appearance. Surprisingly, the multi-storied gopuram also incorporates elements of Rajasthani architecture such as the flared chajjas that curve upwards. “The gali gopuram and the walking path around the temple are later day additions. They were built in the 17th century while the inner sanctum sanctorum is the earliest structure,” says the priest.

It is the sanctum sanctorum with the three idols of Sita, Rama and Lakshmana that the story of the temple unravels. “This is carved out of a single stone. Even the deities of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana have makarathorana (the arch above the idol) carved out of the single piece of rock. The unique aspect of this Rama’s idol is that the makarathorana has small idols which are representative of Dasavataram,” informs the priest. The gopuram over the idols is a smaller structure but with greater detailing of the temple iconography which is intact despite its age.

While most villages have Rama temples with Hanuman kneeling in front in an act of prayer, the Ammapalli temple has an idol of Kodandarama where Rama holds the arrow in his right hand and a bow in the left. “There are very few Kodandarama temples as they are built only in places where Sri Rama travelled or stayed during his 14 years of exile. That is also the reason the temple doesn’t have Hanuman sitting near the three as he didn’t join them till the end of exile,” says Sharma.

Spread over nine acres, the temple and its ancillary structures hark back to a time when land was not at a premium. It has a step well that sprawls over an acre of land and has a walkway around it. Unfortunately, the well is dry as a rock. “Earlier the well used to be full of water through the year. But now due to a lot of construction activity, the natural pathways of water have been disturbed and the well dries up on a regular basis,” says Anuradha Reddy of Intach who has a family ties to the trustees of the temple belonging to Rajapet Samasthan.

How to reach Shri Rama Chandra Swamy Temple Ammapalli Village: If you are coming from ORR take exit 17 and travel on service road till you meet the underpass that takes you on Rallaguda Road towards Narkhoda, Ammapalli village will be on the way and you will see a big Arch on the main road informing about the temple.

If you are coming from Banjara Hill/Mehdipattnam side come from the PV Narsimha Rao Expresswayand then follow this map to join the same route after you reach the Shamshabad village. Here is a Google map to reach the Ammapalley temple from Shilparamam you can expand it and change your starting point.

http://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/serish-heritage-ammapalli-sita-ramachandraswamy-devasthanam/article18304930.ece

http://desitraveler.com/sri-rama-chandra-swamy-temple-ammapalli-village/

https://www.trawell.in/telangana/hyderabad/sri-rama-chandra-temple-ammapalli

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Alvanpalli Jain Temple

Alvanpalli Jain Temple is located in Alvanpalli, (Gollathagudi) village, Jadcherla Mandal, Mahabub Nagar District, Telangana, India.

It is a rare brick temple belonging to 7th – 8th Century A.D. It is the only brick temple of Jainism

faith which retained architectural features and stucco decorations. The stucco figurines discovered in the excavations exhibit the continuation of the lime plastic Art of Amaravathi School. The temple has been a subject of study, due to its unique architectural elements, which is not that prominent in other Jain sites.

The excavations nearby the settlement at Gollathagudiby the Archaeology team has brought to light many Jainism vestiges besides the remnants of a Hindu Temple, belonging to early medieval times. Jainism sculptures like Mahaveera, Parsvanatha and other objects found here, have been shifted to the District Museum, Pillalamarri, Mahabubnagar as well as the State Museum in Public Gardens, Hyderabad for preservation.

The oldest Jain temple built with bricks and in terracotta style lies in shambles.

According to the officials of Department of Archaeology and Museums, there are only two such structures now in the country. One is the oldest Hindu Temple built during Gupta period is located at Bhitargaon under Kanpur district in Uttar Pradesh. The second one is located in Telangana which was built between 7th and 8th century.

There are similarities between the two; while the one located in UP is the only remaining oldest Hindu temple and the other one is at Alvanpalli in Mahbubnagar district is the only remaining Jain temple built with bricks and in terracotta style, the sources added.

The temple, which was damaged around 18th century, has been remained exposed to vagaries of the nature. “This had resulted in the only remaining Jain brick temple suffering major damage as no efforts were being made to conserve it, besides it was left with no maintenance to protect it from further deterioration,” the sources pointed out.

Alvanpalli (Gollathagudi) village is located about 10 km from Jadcherlatown and nearly 30 km from the district headquarters of Mahabubnagar. It is well accessible by road.

http://tsdamblog.com/ancient-jain-temple-alvanpalli/

http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Telangana/2017-04-30/Unique-Jain-temple-in-Telangana-lies-in-ruins/296815

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